The annual celebration of the Battle of San Jacinto will take place Saturday, April 21, 2012, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. on the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site in La Porte, just east of Houston.
The San Jacinto Day Festival and Battle Reenactment is a full day of music, entertainment, food, games and fun set amidst living history. The Battle Reenactment, the most popular event of the day, dramatizes the decisive battle where General Sam Houston led his Texian soldiers to victory over the Mexican Army. This year celebrates the 176th anniversary of Texas independence. Hundreds of reenactors arrive from across the state on Friday to set up their camps just like the Texians and Mexicans did back in 1836. On Saturday morning, thousands of visitors come out to the park to see history come to life. The reenactors “become” figures in history for the weekend and kids of all ages get to actually see how each army lived in the field. At 3 p.m., the official (and historically accurate!) reenactment of the Battle of San Jacinto begins - complete with horses, cannons and pyrotechnics. This reenactment is the largest in Texas. Throughout the day, festival activities on the grounds surrounding the San Jacinto Monument provide more educational fun: live Texas music, living history demonstrations, children’s craft area, petting zoo and several entertaining shows.
The Monument is also open throughout the day. Visitors can ride the elevator to the top for a panoramic view of the festivities, explore the special exhibit, watch a Texas history movie and tour the hundreds of museum pieces on display. There are modest admission fees for the elevator ride, movie and special exhibit inside the Monument. The day is always a celebration and attracts around 20,000-30,000 visitors to the site. Through corporate sponsorships, the San Jacinto Museum of History Association is able to maintain this as a public admission-free event.
